Steering device for ships



Feb. 21, 1961 c. WILLIAMS 2,972,324

STEERING DEVICE FOR SHIPS Filed Feb. 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. .1.2

v INVENTOR.

A TTOQ/VE'YS.

Feb. 21, 1961 c. WILLIAMS STEERING DEVICE FOR SHIPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Feb. 21, 1958 FIG. 4.

I a u I s a m M u m 4 r V o NM r 1/ r W "H tes 2,972,324 STEERING DEVICEFOR SHIPS Carroll Williams, Lakeland, NJ. (N ational AgricultureCollege, Doylesto'wn, Pa.)

Filed Feb. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 716,732

1 Claim; (Cl; 114-163) This invention relates to steering gear forships, and

more particularly has reference to steering gear that will permit'a'shiptomake a faster, sharper turn than 'is possible with aconventionalsingle rudder provided at the rear end of the vessel;

The main objectof'the invention is to provide a fin disposed'forwardly-from-the conventional rear rudder, and adapted-to beturned toselected positions in'respect to the rear rudder and vice versa, in sucha way as to permit a sharper turn to be made wherever desired.

Another object" is 'to provide, in an'auxiliary steering device forvessels of the character described, means that will be particularlydesigned to insure a swift response of the auxiliary steering fin toturning of the wheel by the helmsman.

Another object is to provide an auxiliary steering device of thecharacter stated that will be applicable not only to surface vessels, topermit the same to make turns in the manner previously described herein,but will also be applicable to submarines, in such a way as to permitthe submarines to dive or surface faster and more sharply than hasheretofore been possible with conventional diving planes.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claimappended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a surface vessel equipped with thesteering gear according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a reduced top plan view in which the vessel is shown in fulland dotted lines in a plurality of different positions assumed therebyduring the making of a single turn.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on line 44 of Figure2.

Figure 5 is a still further enlarged sectional view on line 55 of Figure4.

Figure 6 is a sectional view enlarged above the scale of Figure 4, takenon line 66 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a plan sectional view, on a scale enlarged above that ofFigure 6, taken substantially on line 7--7 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a vessel generally designated 10 isillustrated, and includes a hull 11 of conventional shape, screw 12, andrear rudder 14. All this is conventional per se.

The auxiliary steering mechanism generally designated 15, constitutingthe present invention is disposed forwardly of the rudder, and in atypical arrangement may be located substantially halfway between midshipand the bow.

The auxiliary steering device includes an auxiliary fin 16 extending inclose proximity to the keel, midway between opposite sides of the hull.Fin 16 (see Figure 6) is elongated in a horizontal direction, with itsdistal end trailing. At its proximal end, the fin has a connection to avertically disposed shaft 18. A vertical, tubularhousing 20 has a liner22 in which shaft 18 is journaled. At its lower end, shaft 18 isthreadedly engaged in an upwardly opening'recess 24 formed in a low,upstanding projection provided-upon the leading end of the fin' 16. Atransversely extending shear pin 27 is provided, adapted to shear in theevent of excessive pressure, as for ex-- ample on collision, to preventdamage to the hull and to the auxiliary steering mechanism.

The lower end portion of shaft 18 is journaled in a packing glandincluding a packing ring 28 underlyingthe packing 30. integrally formedon the upper endof the housing 20 is an outwardly directed, horizontal,whollyflat flange 3, bearing against the inner wall 33'of' the hull 11.Packing 34 is disposed in the upper end portion of thehousing,beingcompressedabout theshaft 18by a packing nut 36 threadedly engagedinthe upper end of the housing.

Shaft 18 at its upper end is secured to the-'hub 38 of a gear segment40, the teeth; of which extend through slightly more than as shown inFigure 7. Gear segment 40 rotates in a horizontalplane and'is in meshwith a beveled pinion 42 secured to a horizontally extending shaft 44journaled in bearings provided in upwardly projecting bearing arms 46secured to a bearing support plate 48 fixedly mounted upon the innerwall 33.

Connected to shaft 44 for rotation therewith is a sprocket 50 aboutwhich is trained a chain 52 extending upwardly into the wheel house 53.Chain 52 is trained about a sprocket 54 Within the wheel house. Sprocket54 is free to rotate relative to a horizontal shaft 56 extending throughbearings 57 provided in the upper ends of vertically extending,elongated bearing support arms 58, 60 mounted upon the deck 61 adjacentopening 63, through which opening chain 52 extends.

A non-circular, reduced, axial extension 62 of shaft 56 engages in acomplementary center opening of a main wheel 64 abutting a spacer sleeve66, which in turn abuts an auxiliary wheel 68, free to rotate on shaft56 and bolted at 69 or otherwise fixedly secured to an end flange of asleeve 71) receiving and free to rotate on shaft 56, sprocket 54 beingintegral with the other end of sleeve 70.

A drum 72 is pinned at 73 to shaft 56 for rotation therewith and coiledabout the drum is a cable 74 extending downwardly through opening 63 toa sheave support bracket 76 fixedly secured to and extending downwardlyfrom the underside of deck 61 adjacent opening 63. Immediately belowdeck 61, cable 74 is trained about sheave 78 freely rotatable on bracket76, said cable then extending rearwardly to control the turning of therudder 14.

Thus, the helmsman can control the main rudder as well as the auxiliaryrudder or fin 16, turning both wheels to selected positions relative toone another. If desired, the wheels could be spaced apart sufiicientlyto be independently turnable by different helmsmen. In any event, duringnormal operation of the vessel the main wheel 64 would be used tooperate rudder 14 to control the direction of movement of the vessel.Assuming that the vessel is to make a sharp turn (see Figure 3) onewould turn rudder 14 from its neutral, straight position denoted in thefull line showing in Figure 3, counterclockwise. Auxiliary rudder 16 isturned from its neutral position clockwise. As a result, the vesselmoves from position A into position B in Figure 3, then to position Cand then to position D, thus making a sharp turn in minimum time.Obviously, any of various positions of the rudders relative to eachother can be selected.

The invention has utility not only in surface vessels, but also insubmarines, to control diving and surfacing. In other words, the fins 16could be a pair of fins at opposite sides of the submarine hull, locatedforwardly of the rear diving planes, so as to constitute auxiliary orforward diving planes, in which event the fins 16 would be operableindependently of the rear diving planes, to cause downward or upwardmovement of the submarine at angles achieved more rapidly, and moresharply, than the diving angles presently obtained.

The device may also be used as a brake, in that the auxiliary fin can beturned directly broadside to the foreand-aft direction of movement,independently of or in combination with the rear rudder.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confinedto the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may beutilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the inventionto be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated anddescribed, since such construction is only intended to be illustrativeof the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carryout said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehendsany minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scopeof the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a boat having a vertical axis rear rudder and a vertical axis forwardrudder, said forward rudder having a vertical shaft, a rotary horizontalshaft supported on the boat above said vertical shaft, a cable drumfixed on said horizontal shaft, cable means wound on said drum andleading to the rear rudder, rotating means for said vertical shaftcomprising a sleeve journaled on said horizontal shaft and meansoperatively connecting said sleeve to said vertical shaft, a forwardrudder steering wheel circumposed on said horizontal shaft and fixed tosaid sleeve, a rear rudder steering wheel fixed on said horizontalshaft, said steering wheels being independently rotatable relative toeach other for independently rotating the forward and rear rudders, saidrotating means comprising a sprocket wheel fixed to said sleeve, anendless sprocket chain trained around said sprocket Wheel, a horizontalaxis bevel pinion mounted on the boat below the horizontal shaft andhaving a sprocket wheel thereon over which said chain is trained, saidvertical forward rudder shaft having a vertical axis bevel gear fixedthereon and meshed with said pinion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 748,087 North June 6, 1865 916,893 Seely Mar. 30, 1909 1,213,238 NickelsJan. 23, 1917 1,529,036 Richey Mar. 10, 1925 1,682,815 Vincent Sept. 4,1928 1,903,265 Peck Mar. 28, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 634,453 France Nov.19, 1927

